The home décor retailer At Home will shutter eight of its California stores as it reorganizes in bankruptcy, according to documents filed in Wilmington, Delaware.
The Texas-based company, with $2 billion in debt, blamed a “rapidly evolving trade environment” and the “impact of tariff policies” for its decision to restructure and downsize.
President Donald Trump’s tariffs have retailers on edge, with many of them postponing sales forecasts for 2025. Retail sales in May fell sharply, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, as consumers pulled back on shopping that spiked ahead of anticipated tariffs.
Also see: California tariff experts warn of heightened economic uncertainty
At Home said it will close 26 stores nationwide by the end of September. With 13 stores in California, the retailer had auspicious plans to add at least 80 to the state when it first expanded to Lake Forest in 2019. Locations in the Inland Empire are, so far, not included in the closure list.
“California is an amazing state of economic opportunities,” then-Chief Executive Officer Lewis “Lee” Bird told columnist Jonathan Lansner in 2019. “Great economy. Fantastic tastes. And residents who love to decorate. We can be their value option.”
At Home debuted in California with an 85,000-square-foot store in the Foothill Ranch community. The sprawling stores, most of which are the size of a Costco, sell a wide array of housewares ranging from décor to furniture.
The company sells mostly store-branded merchandise, enabling it to underprice name-brand products. Most of At Home’s merchandise is made abroad.
Bird retired in late 2023, replaced in mid-2024 by retail veteran Brad Weston, the former CEO of Party City and Petco.
In the bankruptcy filing, At Home said it would transfer ownership of the Coppell, Texas-based company to its lenders. In return, at least $200 million will be set aside to keep stores operational during the reorganization.
“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with our lenders, which represents a critical and positive advancement of our work to best position At Home for the future,” Weston said in a statement.
He said the company has undergone a new level of “operational discipline” aimed at sustaining sales growth, inventory management and efficiency.
“While we have made significant progress advancing our initiatives to date, we are operating against the backdrop of an increasingly dynamic and rapidly evolving trade environment as we navigate the impact of tariffs.”
At Home operates 260 stores in 40 states. The stores closing in California include:
—Tustin: 2505 El Camino Real
—Costa Mesa: 2200 Harbor Blvd.
—Foothill Ranch: 26532 Towne Center Drive
—Long Beach: 2900 N. Bellflower Blvd.
—Pasadena: 3795 E. Foothills Blvd.
—Sacramento: 8320 Delta Shores Circle
—Chico: 1982 E. 20th St.
—San Jose: 750 Newhall Drive
California stores that do not appear on the At Home closure list include locations in Temecula, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, San Diego and Clovis.